Tid-bits from the Tower

Dutch Get New Address

The Dutch Lighthouse Association has a new address and now has its own home page on the Web. Be warned: their home page on the world wide web is in Dutch, so brush up on your language skills. If you would like to write to them their address is: Dutch Lighthouse Association, Frans la Poutre, De Kuiperij 13, 7437 CW Bathman, The Netherlands.

New York Links

Mike Oliviere has accumulated a good number of Internet links to New York State lighthouses. If anyone would like to have them, he would be more than happy to send them to you. If interested, contact Mike on the Internet at -thelgtkpr@aol.com

Passed Away

Mrs. Magda Lefton, president of George Z Lefton Company has passed away while visiting friends and family in Europe. The Lefton Company is the largest manufacturer of lighted lighthouse replicas as well as numerous other lighthouse products. Mrs. Lefton was the widow of George Z. Lefton who founded the Lefton Company over 57 years ago. Upon Mr. Lefton's death in 1996, Mrs. Lefton took over the reins of the company to continue the traditions he had established many years before. She was an inspiration to all who knew her.

Added to List

North Carolina's Bodie Island Lighthouse has officially been declared surplus property by the United States Coast Guard. The National Park Service is continuing its efforts to have the lighthouse turned over to them. This is a process that has been ongoing for some time.

Shop Talk

New Book Well Worth It

Jam-packed with lush full color photographs and first hand accounts from lightkeepers on every part of the coast, a new spectacular book captures the essence of life on the lighthouses of Canada's British Columbia. The authors visit 22 of BC's lighthouses from Carmanah Light on the Pacific Graveyard to the Triple Island Light which is known as "Little Alcatraz." In the book you will read the legend of the ghosts at Pachena Point, Santa Claus's visit to Cape Beal, and a ten year old's thoughts on growing up in isolation. Woven throughout their recollections are the keepers views on the Canadian government's plans to automated and de-staff the last manned stations, which would threaten a way of life that began in British Columbia 137 years ago, that may soon disappear forever. We highly recommend this book to everyone. Guiding Lights: BC Lighhtouses and their Keepers has 128 pages with 120 color photographs. It is now available from Lighthouse Depot as item # 91854 for $34.95 by calling toll free at 1-800-758-1444 or by mail to P.O. Box 427, Wells, Maine 04090.

Twin Lights of Chatham Replica

Cheryl Spencer Collin of Spencer Collin Lighthouses has announced that she will be releasing a replica of the original twin lights of Chatham, Massachusetts. The limited edition replica will look as the station appeared in 1877. In 1923, the government removed one tower and moved it to Nauset Beach, where it became the Nauset Lighthouse, which replaced the last beacon of the Three Sisters Lighthouses. The edition size will be limited to 2400 pieces, with the first 500 sold being part of Cheryl's Gold Label Signature Series. Because of the unusual history behind this station this replica is sure to be highly sought after. It will be available from Lighthouse Depot.

Fitzgerald on CD

Lost on Lake Superior in 1973, the Edmund Fitzgerald is the Great Lakes' largest shipwreck. Twenty-nine men vanished without a trace and experts can not figure out why this huge vessel sank. The first ever CD-ROM on the Fitzgerald, The Edmund Fitzgerald Interactive Explorer, was created by International Software Engineering and is now available from the West Michigan Tourist Association.

The CD-ROM includes the most video ever released from the wrecksite, animated theories of the ships final moments, exclusive interviews from all the expeditions and exclusive film of the ship's construction.

The Edmund Fitzgerald was en route from Superior, Wisconsin to Detroit, Michigan on November 10, 1975, when it sank into the depths of Lake Superior, 550 feet below. The 729-foot long, 75-foot wide freighter was the largest ship to ply the Great Lakes. The Edmund Fitzgerald was the subject of a 1970's song by Gordon Lightfoot called The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Today, 23 years later, the song continues to be a part of history to be played on Michigan radio stations each November 10th.

If you are interested in ordering the Edmund Fitzgerald Interactive Explorer CD-ROM, contact the West Michigan Tourist Association via the internet at www.wmta.org or call them toll free at 1-800-442-2084. The cost of the CD-ROM is $39.95 plus $5.00 postage.

This story appeared in the December 1998 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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